1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to enhancing the crop plant's or any plant's capability of surviving various levels of drought (water deficit conditions in the soil levels at, near the soil surface or at greater depths) while enhancing crop productivity and health by developing a very deep and strong root pattern for access to sufficient moisture for harvest completion from the deeper soil profiles, with the compliment of expediting a plant hormone balance supporting this root and plant architecture and signaling its functionality.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally crop plants have been grown without regard to root architecture. Moreover, the aspects of root growth most often measured in experiments are mainly total length of the root system and the number of branching points. Traditionally it has been thought that the larger the total mass of the root system, the more effective and desirable is the root pattern for maximal crop production. This pattern of a root system especially with a plethora of roots close to the soil surface may at first glance appear desirable and a rather positive attribute for optimal or maximal crop or plant growth and production.
This thinking is, however, fraught with disregard for maximizing the physiological and also gene-related necessities related to functionality of the root system, and the soil, water and plant system in total.
There are moreover, at least 5 facets of a prolific, close to the soil surface plethora of roots that are in fact, deleterious to the productivity of crop plants, in contrast to a deep, well-developed and truly functional root pattern, supported by a well-balanced hormone distribution.
First, the turnover of these abundant and excessive lateral roots close to the soil surface causes a severe physiological stress on the crop plant. This pattern of root system is usually rather short lived and as the roots die in a rapid turnover fashion, they can contribute to excessive ethylene or other stress surges, thus for the length of that process creating an unnecessary and debilitating abiotic stress.
Moreover, a second type of abiotic stress happens to this mass of roots, namely caused by the shallowness of this portion of the roots. Thus the wetting (rain or irrigation) and then subsequent drying (hot sunny weather) of the soil, give stressful cycles of either too wet growing conditions followed by potentially too dry conditions. This cycling of extremes can cause severe abiotic stress with which the plant has to cope and expend resources, which otherwise could be used for enhanced crop productivity.
A third negative aspect of the shallow proliferation of lateral roots close to the soil surface is the reality of a poorly sustained and very limited water resource in most soil conditions, as contrasted to a restrained lateral root system but a pattern of deep, dynamic and constructive root system, that allows the crop plant access to water at deep soil profiles, even when the upper soil is devoid of available water.
Fourth, even a small percentage of the root system is sufficient for adequate water and nutrient and growth hormone synthesis and distribution for good crop productivity. Thus the excessive lateral root proliferation close to the soil surface is a debilitating and un-necessary “baggage” for what could be an otherwise fit and productive crop plant. The critical and important issue is the functionality of the root system.
And fifth, yet another critical aspect of root functionality is often not considered in the assessments for the requirements of an effective root system. An extremely essential component of a root system is for sustained and effectively balanced plant growth regulators for optimal regulation for maximizing crop production. There are plant hormones that are known to be synthesized at the root tips and subsequently used in the root and also transported upwards for controlled growth and development of the crop. A well developed and more constant root system can be active and productive by most effectively regulating the downward transport of photosynthates and upward and downward transport of plant growth regulators or other signaling or feedback molecules as well as minerals and water for optimal balance of same for optimal balance and maximal root and shoot growth.
An alternative, more productive approach to a root pattern is to have the root architecture aligned in a manner that is most efficacious for assisting the crop plant to withstand to the best extent possible, the abiotic and biotic stresses that can be debilitating to health or productivity of the crop plant with concomitant loss in yield, weakened and inadequate development especially of the economic portion of the crop plant. Consistent and continued maintenance of a very productive root pattern and hormone balance, ensures heightened productivity of the crop plant.